Spotted Flycatcher
Muscicapa striata
Aves › Passeriformes › Muscicapidae › Muscicapa
Conservation status: least_concern
The spotted flycatcher is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family. It breeds in most of Europe and in the Palearctic to Siberia, and is migratory, wintering in Africa and south western Asia. It is declining in parts of its range.
How To Identify
They are small passerines with an overall subdued brown plumage. Their most distinguishing feature is the prominent pattern of white spotting visible across their chest and flanks.
Habitat
It typically inhabits open woodlands, parks, gardens, and cultivated areas with scattered trees, preferring edges between forested and open spaces.
Behaviour
Spotted Flycatchers hunt by perching quietly on a branch, then darting out to catch flying insects in mid-air before returning to their perch in a characteristic 'sally-and-return' feeding method.
Native Range
The spotted flycatcher breeds in most of Europe and in the Palearctic to Siberia, and is migratory, wintering in Africa and south western Asia. "It breeds in most of Europe and in the Palearctic to Siberia, and is migratory, wintering in Africa and south western Asia.
Did You Know?
Despite their small size, Spotted Flycatchers are remarkable long-distance migrants that breed in Europe and Asia but winter in sub-Saharan Africa, traveling thousands of kilometers annually. They can catch insects mid-flight with impressive aerial agility, sometimes performing acrobatic loops to snatch prey.
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